Awkward
by Daddysgirl11
Summary: Set between BOTL and TLO. Percy arrives back to Camp Half Blood for the summer just in time to be offered a part in his buddy Beckendorf's plan to help with the war against Kronos. But Percy is reluctant to go back to camp. Ever since last summer, he and Annabeth were very awkward and tense around each other. What would it be like to spend the rest of the summer around her?
**I want to start this by saying that I am a CHRISTIAN and don't believe in any other gods but our one true God. This is based around the Greek and Roman myths, and Rick Riordan's awesome Percy Jackson books.**

 **This is set between The Battle of The Labyrinth and The Last Olympian.**

 **I don't own Percy Jackson & The Olympians**

* * *

Annabeth woke with a start. She'd fallen asleep by the lake, which, she thought with an inward groan, would probably get her in major trouble if her brothers and sisters decided to tell Chiron or Mr. D. She could probably get away with a minor punishment, like sorting the armory, if Chiron was the one who found out, but Mr. D always loved torturing the campers when he could.

She stood up and stretched. Her first week back at camp this summer had been uneventful, but Percy was supposed to be coming in just a few short hours, and Annabeth's nerves were shot. They'd had a tense, almost silent, school year, and neither of them had gone back to camp for winter break, so Annabeth had only seen him a handful of times since their last summer together. It was like they were walking on eggshells around each other now, and Annabeth hated that.

"Hey Annabeth."

Annabeth jumped so hard she almost fell into the lake. Charles Beckendorf was standing behind her, wearing a bright grin.

"Beckendorf!" Annabeth pressed a hand to her chest, breathing hard. "What are you doing here? You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry." He didn't look sorry. "Just thought you should know, Thalia and the Hunters are here."

"What?" Annabeth's head snapped up. "Thalia? Why? What are they doing here?"

Beckendorf shrugged. "Heck if I know. Thalia refuses to talk to anyone except you or Percy, and since Percy's not here yet…"

Annabeth straightened up. "Where is she?"

"Cabin 1, but the Hunters are in Artemis's cabin. Thalia wanted to talk to you alone. She tried your cabin but…" He let another amused grin creep onto his face.

Annabeth rolled her eyes and shoved him aside. "Shut up, Beck. And hey, if Percy gets here before we're done…"

She stopped herself. What would she say when she saw Percy again? Did she really want to face him? Things were just so difficult.

Beckendorf winked at her. "I'll let him know where you are. See you at breakfast. I'm off to feed the beast."

And by "beast", he meant Percy's giant pet hellhound, Mrs. O'Leary. The hellhound used to belong to Daedalus, Annabeth's sort-of half-brother ancestor who'd left all his unfinished work to her the summer before when he'd allowed Nico Di Angelo (son of Hades) to release his spirit to the Underworld. Daedalus had left Mrs. O'Leary to Percy, and whenever Percy wasn't at camp, Beckendorf took care of her. Annabeth knew Percy missed his dog during the school year, but it wasn't like he could keep a giant hellhound in his Manhattan living room.

Annabeth sighed and strode towards the cabin area. She hoped if anyone noticed her up, they'd think she'd woken early to meet the Hunters, and not that she'd stayed out all night.

She walked hesitantly up to Cabin 1, Zeus's cabin. It was very rare that anyone slept here anymore. Thalia had never made it to the cabin when Annabeth first arrived at camp, and when she came back to life she'd spent such a short time there, only a few months, that it was almost like she'd never lived there at all. Annabeth always found it strange going into the empty cabins. Percy's was the only used-to-be-empty-cabin she'd ever been comfortable going in…

"Thalia?" Annabeth stepped in, not bothering to knock. No one else in camp would be foolish enough to enter this cabin while Thalia was here if she wasn't already expecting them. Percy had tried it, once, when Thalia had actually lived there, and he'd walked around camp with half an eyebrow seared off for the next two weeks. Apparently water didn't heal eyebrows for him like it did wounds.

The dark figure at the edge of the cabin turned. Annabeth recognized her instantly. She hadn't changed, of course. Annabeth always found it strange, being the same age as Thalia, who'd practically raised her for the little while between the time Annabeth had runaway from home to when Thalia had died before they made it to camp. They were supposed to be five years apart. But after spending a few years as a tree (long story), and becoming an immortal Hunter of the goddess Artemis (longer story), they were now the same age. Annabeth would soon grow older than her, and then that would be really weird.

"Annabeth!" Thalia rushed forward to hug her. Thalia was a slender girl with short black hair that stuck up everywhere, and she definitely hadn't gotten rid of her punk clothes when she joined the Hunters. "Hi! How are you?"

Annabeth laughed and hugged her friend back. "I'm alright. What on earth are you doing here?"

Thalia bit her lip. "This thing with the Titans...it's really getting out of hand. My Hunters are having a hard time keeping the monsters at bay. And we _still_ don't know where Grover is."

Annabeth nodded slowly. "I already knew this Thalia. Why are you really here?"

Thalia grimmaced. "You always did know when I was hiding things," she muttered. "Okay, the truth is...I'm worried about Percy."

Annabeth's heart skipped a beat. "W-What about Percy?"

"He's obviously the child of the Prophecy. Since the Prophecy was made, no other child of the Big Three has made it to the age of sixteen. And he's _so close_."

Annabeth pursed her lips. "I know when his birthday is. _You_ were a day away from being the first child of the Big Three to make it to sixteen."

Thalia looked down. "Annabeth….it was always meant to be this way. I was so tempted to sacrifice that poor sea cow. It was messing with my mind. But Percy was never tempted. He loved the little thing. He just wanted to protect it. I knew then that I could never be the child of the Prophecy, unless I wanted to be the one to cause destruction to Olympus."

"It could still be Nico," Annabeth reminded her.

Thalia shook her head. "This is happening now, Annabeth. It's Percy. It's always been Percy. And I'm worried about him. You saw what happened with Luke, and he-"

"Don't talk to me about Luke," Annabeth snapped.

Thalia sighed. "All I'm saying is-"

"I know what you're saying. And I know why you're here. But Percy isn't…"

Annabeth stopped. She couldn't finish what she knew they were both thinking. _Percy isn't Luke_. It hurt, thinking like that. Annabeth could feel bile rising up in the back of her throat.

From behind them, someone cleared their throat. They turned, and Annabeth's eyes widened. Percy Jackson, the jerk, was standing in the doorway of Cabin 1, looking hesitant.

"Hey guys, what's up?" He said awkwardly.

Annabeth stared at him. He hand a split lip and blood was running down the side of his face. He was leaning on the doorway as if it hurt to stand. He's obviously been in some kind of fight.

Thalia shook her head at him. "Seaweed brain, what have I told you about walking in my cabin without permission?"

"Don't call me that," he mumbled, looking down.

Thalia grinned and walked over to hug him. "Percy Jackson, you are one of the only men in this world I can actually tolerate. How're you doing?"

She ruffled his hair as she pulled away. Percy, still looking sheepish, ran a hand through it. "An _empousa_ caught me by surprise on my way to camp. She gave me this-" he pointed at his bloodied head, "-before I had the chance to pull Riptide out of my pocket."

He glanced over at Annabeth then, and she sucked in a breath. "Hello Percy."

"Hey Annabeth."

Thalia stood awkwardly between the two. "I would go…" she said, "but, you know, this is still sort of my cabin."

Both of them hastily backed out of Cabin 1, Annabeth giving Thalia a meaningful look as she left. The look clearly said, _We'll talk about this later._

Annabeth walked awkwardly beside Percy. She hated this. They'd never been awkward around each other before. She and Percy were the best of friends, and there was a time when she thought they might be more…. But no, it wasn't worth going into. Percy had probably been dating Rachel Elizabeth Dare all school year. Just the thought of that girl caused Annabeth to scowl.

"What's wrong?" Percy asked.

Annabeth snorted. "You're the one with a split lip and blood running down your face; you tell me."

He studied her for a minute, then turned his head away. They walked together in silence to the Big House, where they'd both almost unconsciously decided to go. If she'd said so out loud, Percy probably would've argued, but despite herself, Annabeth knew he needed treatment.

"Come on," she sighed. "Chiron will want to talk to you."

* * *

"Well, it looks like you've had an interesting trip." Chiron looked like he was trying not to laugh. Percy grunted.

"You're kidding; this has been the easiest trip to camp I've had yet. Only one monster attacked me, can you believe it?"

His voice was practically dripping with sarcasm. Chiron smiled. Annabeth, standing beside him, did not. She stood as still as a statue, with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face.

Chiron shook his head. "I know it's been a hard year Percy, but it's good that you've still been training at home. Kronos could attack-"

"-any time, yeah I know," Percy finished for him. He'd only been hearing this all year; from Chiron, from his mom, even from Annabeth. If he heard it one more time, he might scream. "What is it you needed me to do, anyway? You said-"

"-that is was important." Chiron looked grave. "Yes. It seems that Beckendorf thinks he knows a way to get rid of the impending threat of an attack from _The Princess Andromeda_ , but he needs your help."

"My help?" Percy blinked. "Why? I can't build things."

Everyone knew Beckendorf, from the Hephaestus cabin, was the best person to build things. Percy's little brother, Tyson, had worked with him for a while, until their father asked him to come work with the Cyclopes in his underwater kingdom.

"Beckendorf needs you in case there's an attack, Percy. You won't have to build anything, just watch his back while he does. But you need to practice first."

Percy noticed, out of the corner of his eye, Annabeth looked, if it were possible, more irritated by this news.

"Alright," Percy sighed, "I'm in."

Annabeth turned and strode out of the Big House. Percy turned back to Chiron helplessly. "What…?"

Chiron smiled, ever the patient centaur. "She's worried, Percy. You know how hard it was for her to grasp the fact that Luke...well, you know. She couldn't bare it if she lost you too."

Percy let that sink in. Last summer, when Annabeth had thought he was dead, she'd been the one to hold his shrine and speak at his funeral-of-sorts. She'd been crying. He knew she cared about him, but what could he do? The camp needed him. The Prophecy was obviously about him. Mostly likely, Annabeth would lose him sometime soon anyway.

Percy looked up at Chiron, hoping he could help him as much in the girl department as the saving-his-life department. "What should I do?"

Unfortunately for Percy, Chiron only laughed. "Get some sleep, Percy. You'll need it."

* * *

Dinner that night was lonely for Percy. Tyson wasn't there to keep him company, so of course Percy ate alone. Even the chocolate chip cookies and blue Coke couldn't make him feel better.

What was Annabeth's problem? Was she still upset about what happened last summer?

Well, of course she was. That was a dumb question. But why was she still upset with him?

"Percy Jackson," said a voice to Percy's right. A hand clamped him on the shoulder, and Charles Beckendorf appeared, a wide grin on his face. "How've you been man? Seems like ages."

Percy smiled. Beckendorf was a cool dude, and Percy was kind of glad the dude had picked him, over everyone else, to help him with his mission.

"'Sup Beck?" Percy gave him a fist bump and laughed. "I'm alright. How's my dog?"

Beckendorf rolled his eyes good-naturally. "Mrs. O'Leary's gonna be happy to see your sorry face around here, that's for sure. Hey, I heard an _empousa_ tried to get you."

Percy felt his face redden. "Um...I took care of it."

He was careful to leave out certain details of the attack, like how he'd been very tempted to make out with the crazy monster when in a sort of trance. This was something he definitely did not want getting back to Annabeth...or anyone, really.

Beckendorf only grinned again. "Sure man, let's go with that. Listen, you should get some sleep. We've got a big day tomorrow, if you're up to it…"

Percy snorted. "If I'm up to it? What about you? Looking a bit out of shape there, Beck."

They both laughed. Beckendorf never looked out of shape.

"See you tomorrow Jackson," he said, still cackling, as he bounded off towards the Hephaestus cabin.

Percy shook his head and made his way towards his own (very empty) cabin. It neat and tidy, the way it always was when Percy just got back after a long time away. When he stayed there for a while, however, things would look much more normal-and normal for Percy meant candy wrappers on the floor, bed unmade and clothes wherever he decided to put them. Percy wasn't one to care much about a clean room, unless it meant he could get first shower, but the Aphrodite cabin almost always got that anyway.

Percy sighed as he climbed into bed. It had been a long day. First, his mom had seemed more nervous than ever about letting him go back to camp this morning. Then, Rachel had shown up to tell him she'd miss him, and she expected him to visit home a lot during the summer (which sort of unnerved him). After that came the taxi ride to camp, where Percy was stupid enough not to check who was driving, and almost gotten himself killed by the _empousa_ in the front seat.

And then there was Annabeth. Her reaction (or lack thereof) to his arrival was what seemed to be bothering him the most. They'd never been this awkward around each other. They'd had plenty of fights, sure, but they'd always been close enough that Percy figured it wouldn't matter. They'd always find a way to be friends again. But now he wasn't so sure. Annabeth would barely look at him.

Percy found himself falling into a fitful sleep, as always.

First, he thought he saw Grover, which was weird considering Percy hadn't seen his best friend in a while. "Grover?" Percy said, inching towards the satyr.

Grover didn't move. He seemed to be asleep himself, by a tree possibly? Percy couldn't be sure.

"Grover!" He said again, but his dream was already dissolving, morphing into another.

Tyson sat in his cyclops workshop under the sea, where Percy knew their dad's kingdom must be. He whittled away with the metal in his hands, looking very sullen.

"Tyson?" Percy said. The cyclops looked up.

"Brother!" He exclaimed, dropping his metal. "Is my brother Percy okay? Where is my brother?"

Percy blinked. "I'm alright, Tyson. I'm back at camp."

Tyson nodded. He picked up his metal again. "Good, good. Camp is good. Percy will be safe at camp."

"Tyson-" Percy strained for words. He didn't usually have dreams like these. They were never….well, peaceful. "Tyson,is something wrong? How are things going with Dad and the underwater kingdom?"

Tyson's face darkened and his eye fell to the floor. "Daddy is working very hard. Don't see him much."

Percy's felt for the big guy, but he really wanted to know what was up with their dad. But before he could say anything, and rapping noise shattered the scene and Percy found himself sitting straight up in bed, bewildered. What in Hades was that noise?

He only realized, belatedly, that someone was knocking on the door. They sounded frantic.

"I'm coming," Percy muttered, still half asleep. His feet got tangled up in the sheets as he tried to stand, but he shuffled his way to the door just as the knocking became even more insistent. He threw the door open...and was nearly knocked to the floor.

"Whoa!" Percy blinked in the darkness. "Annabeth?"

She was standing there, her hair a mess and her clothes rumpled. But that wasn't it. She was shaking, absolutely trembling. "Annabeth," Percy said, much more awake now, "what is it? What's happened?"

"Sp-sp…." Her teeth were chattering, and she was still clutching the front of Percy's pajamas.

"Hey, come here." Percy led her to his bed and wrapped his blanket around her shoulders. Then he took her hands in his. "Tell me what happened. Why are you so upset?"

Her hands were still trembling, but she managed to say, "Sp-spider. There's a s-spider in m-my bed."

If it was anyone other than Annabeth, Percy would've laughed. He felt the urge to in his chest, but forced it down. He knew Annabeth was _terrified_ of spiders.

Percy stood up. "Is there a way of death your prefer?"

Annabeth seemed to stare at him, but it was kind of hard to tell in the dark. "What?"

Percy shrugged. "There's an enemy in your cabin. No one, not even a spider, can get away with hurting my-" His tongue seemed to tie itself up of its own accord. What had he been about to say? "-my Annabeth," he finished lamely. "Where is this blasted spider that upset my Annabeth?"

He really wished he'd turned on the light. It was almost impossible to tell, but he thought Annabeth might be smiling at him for the first time since he'd gotten back to camp.

Annabeth stood up. "Thanks," she said, and he could definitely hear the smile in her voice, "but I think I'm fine now."

"You sure? Because I could just get my trusty sword and-"

Annabeth cut him off with a small, exasperated laugh. "Go back to bed, Seaweed Brain. Sorry I woke you."

She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, then started for the door. "That's my blanket, you know," Percy called after her.

"I know," she said, and shut the door behind her without another word. Percy smiled.

* * *

 **Hey guys, sorry it's so short and all, but I thought it'd be cute to end it here, you know? Leave room for the rest of the summer where things could get more awkward with Percabeth because of Perachel. I'm not going to write that part, I'll just let your minds wonder what happened for yourself. Because, I mean, we all know what happens in The Last Olympian. I'm not ruining any of the relationship Uncle Rick built up for them lol. This was just a cute little drabble I thought of and HAD to write.**

 ***I don't own anything you recognize**

 **God bless you all!**

 **-Daddysgirl11**


End file.
